Marco Francesco Funari

Marco Francesco Funari is a Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. He holds a MSc in Architectural Engineering (2015) and PhD in Structural Engineering (2019) from the University of Calabria, Italy, with postdoctoral research at the University of Minho (2020–2022) focusing on heritage masonry structures. His research integrates computational methods, structural analysis, and cultural heritage preservation.

Education:

• MSc in Architectural Engineering, University of Calabria (2015)
• PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Calabria (2019)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Surrey (2024)

Research Interests

Funari’s work centers on structural integrity of existing and heritage structures, computational optimization, and crack propagation in layered materials. He develops analytical/numerical methods for seismic assessment of masonry buildings and low-carbon concrete technologies. Key topics include masonry pattern generation, digital twins for heritage conservation, and stochastic earthquake modeling.

Publications Overview

Recent work focuses on pushover analysis of historic masonry, generative modeling of temples, and seismic resilience of monumental structures. His methods combine limit analysis, discrete element modeling, and machine learning to address challenges in heritage preservation and sustainable materials.

Grants & Collaborations

Contributed to EU projects OPHERA and ERC Stand4Heritage, developing frameworks for masonry assessment. Collaborations include University of Minho, University of Dundee, and international heritage institutions.

Labs & Teams

Leads research on masonry structural analysis and low-carbon materials at the University of Surrey. Engages with interdisciplinary teams in computational modeling and heritage engineering.